


Step Right Up!

by girlygirl14534



Series: The Adventures of Amy [18]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Amusement Parks, Bucky Bear - Freeform, Carnival, F/M, Fair, Ferris Wheels, Games, Gen, Multi, Prizes, Roller Coasters, Romantic Gestures, State Fair, funnel cake, rides
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27591004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlygirl14534/pseuds/girlygirl14534
Summary: You and the boys attend the annual S.H.I.E.L.D. Friends and Family Fair.
Relationships: Brunnhilde | Valkyrie & Thor (Marvel), Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Thor (Marvel) & Reader, Wanda Maximoff & Reader
Series: The Adventures of Amy [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903927
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	Step Right Up!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is so late! Finals week is kicking my ass! I’m way behind on my posting schedule, but I promise y’all I’ll catch up soon!
> 
> I dedicate this story to JoJo and her incredible music video for Baby It's You.

You heard the familiar sounds of carnival music and calls of “Step right up and try your luck!”. The scent of fried foods was heavy in the air. You were transported to summers spent with your Grandma Billie as a kid, back when she lived in Florida. She always took you, Anna, and your cousins Kayla and Meka to the county fair. You stood with Steve and Bucky at the entrance to the fairgrounds, trying to decide where in this colorful, flashing maze you would go first. When they told you about the annual S.H.I.E.L.D. Friends and Family Fair, you’d envisioned a dinky little carnival with cornhole and maybe a petting zoo—not the state fair-level production in front of you. 

This fair was complete with rides that would accommodate beings of all sizes and games that would actually be a challenge to the expert marksmen and strategists in attendance. Thankfully, all of these games also had regular difficulty levels, so you had a chance of leaving here with your pride intact, and perhaps even a small stuffed animal. Although you knew your boyfriends would probably win you more prizes than you could carry. Yes, you saw a lot of neon fabric and cheap plastic in your future. 

Before you could follow your nose to the source of the fried dough and powdered sugar aromas, your ears to the sounds of buzzers and bells, or your eyes to the sight of the carousel, your boys stopped you. Bucky produced a blindfold. You were confused, but you allowed him to put it on you.

“Let me give you boys a tip: if you want to surprise me with a trip to the fair, don’t tell me about it in advance. I would also advise against letting me see said fair before blindfolding me. I’ll still act surprised. I just wanted you to know that for future reference.”

“Shut up,” Bucky chuckled. You heard Steve hit him for telling you to shut up. 

“What he meant to say was: prepare to be amazed!” 

You laughed as the boys led you into the fair blindfolded. You could hear all of the people enjoying the fair around you and were sure you looked ridiculous. To top it all off, your anxiety was having a field day with this blindfold, imagining the worst possible surprises. 

“If you’re taking me to a haunted house, this relationship is over.” 

“Amy. Calm down.” 

“I’m serious, Bucky. It will _not_ be funny.” 

He sighed. “Will you please please stop talking?” You could feel the glare Steve sent him. “...sweetheart?”

“I’m sorry. I'm not good with surprises.”

“I can see that.” 

“You’ll like it. I promise,” Steve said. 

You sighed heavily and let them lead you along, wondering what the hell kind of surprise awaited you. If it was a creepy clown costume contest you would never forgive them. You knew you shouldn’t have told them about your childhood fear. 

They finally stopped and undid your blindfold. It took a few moments to adjust to the light before you could make out the scene in front of you: a charming, light pink building with dark pink and red hearts and a flashing pink sign that read “Tunnel of Love”. 

“Oh! Boys! This is so cute!” 

They held your hands and led you inside, where you climbed into a boat. You floated through a spectacular outdoor sculpture garden before passing into the tunnel. There were real rose petals falling from the ceiling, delighting you. To the left and right there were cute animal couples in love; unicorns, swans, rabbits—all with heart eyes and wide grins. However, you noticed that there were three of each animal, instead of two. _Hmm. That’s not very universal. Maybe the makers of the ride heard about our relationship and wanted to give us a nod?_

You came upon a larger-than-life storybook in your path. It opened, allowing you to pass. As you floated down the waterway, a voice narrated your journey: “This is a story of a princess and her two princes.” You looked at the boys in shock. They were grinning from ear to ear. Adorable animatronic doll versions of you acted out your love story. 

It started with you meeting Steve, complete with the rain and Steve’s umbrella, you on his shoulder in the bookstore, and you cuddling in the coffee shop. 

Then it was you and Bucky on the subway, walking with Morgan, getting burgers. 

Storybook elements were woven into the story, as the next scene was Steve and Bucky’s dolls dueling in suits of armor while Princess Amy looked on from a tower. 

The night sky filled with stars as you passed under the Eiffel Tower and were transported into the Jules Verne again. The scent of fresh roses filled the air and the tunnel was lit by hundreds of flickering flames as puppets of you and Steve swayed to the music of the quintet. 

Then you were in Tuscany again, touring the vineyard. You relived your night in the town: the patrons of the trattoria belting their hearts out, all the roses you and Bucky gave out, dancing in the square, kissing in the rain.

Then you were in a meadow in New Jersey, your two princes reciting Shakespeare to you and your pet dragon. 

The three of you in your apartment, plates piled high with burgers and fries.

The three of you watching a movie, curled up on the couch together.

At the Thai restaurant with Anna, Steve’s face was fire-engine red and steam was coming out of his ears. You all giggled at that. 

There was a scene at the pumpkin patch (but thankfully not the haunted maze), and then carving pumpkins.

Your gallery night, complete with tiny recreations of your paintings.

Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Wonder Woman shaking it on a table at the Halloween party.

The three of you at your fancy I love you dinner. A circus music version of Never Gonna Give You Up played, and you were glad that you could all laugh about it now. 

You passed into the final room which was an explosion of red, white, and pink roses. This room was full of moments that hadn’t happened yet. 

The three of you at a dinner table, the boys each with a full turkey in front of them. Under a Christmas tree opening presents. Kissing to ring in the New Year. Presenting each other with valentines. Even drinking a Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day. 

What you weren’t expecting to see was Steve and Bucky’s dolls down on one knee. Or you in a wedding dress with them in tuxes. Sure, the thought had crossed your mind, but you didn’t know that they thought about marriage too. White confetti rained down on your boat as you came to the end of the ride. They helped you out. As you left, you received a picture of the three of you from the ride. You were cuddled against Bucky’s side, both of your eyes closed contentedly as Steve looked at you two with eyes filled with all the love in the world.

“So?” Steve asked, biting his lip. “What did you think?” 

“Um…” You started tearing up. There were no words. 

“Did you hate it?” Steve asked. 

“We told Tony not to include all that wedding stuff. Did it freak you out? We didn’t mean to—” 

You stopped them before they could spiral any further. “It was wonderful. So, so beautiful. Thank you. As for the wedding stuff—is that what you want, eventually? A future? Not just months, but years?” 

“Yeah?” Steve was rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. 

You looked at Bucky. “Yeah, that’s what I want. But no pressure if—” 

You were beaming. “Cool.” 

They laughed with happiness and relief. “Cool.” 

“I love the Tunnel of Love. And I love you two. And we are definitely riding that again before we leave here. And then we are boxing it up and taking it home, got it?” 

They laughed, nodding. 

You wiped some tears away. “Ugh, let’s go. I need a lemonade.” 

They laughed again, each hooking an arm through yours and walking with you to the food stands. 

It wasn’t long before a huge boat of fries, half-covered in cheese and bacon, sat in front of you. You preferred your fries plain with ketchup, and helped yourself to the best crinkle-cut fries you had ever had. 

“There’s this place in Belgium—best fries ever. I’ve gotta take you one day,” Bucky said. 

“You sound like Liv,” you said. “She says the best fries she’s ever had were in Belgium. I told her America rocked and Belgium could suck it, but maybe I should give their food a chance.” 

Bucky laughed. “Liv and I need to team up to get you to like all the foods you’re stubborn about. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the salad thing.” 

You rolled your eyes. 

“My salads are delicious. Right, Steve?” 

“Huh?” Steve looked up. He had been too busy downing bacon cheese fries to participate in the conversation. 

“Salad?”

“No, thanks.”

You laughed as Bucky rolled his eyes. “Steve, I was asking if you could back me up on my delicious salads.” 

“Oh yeah! I like the one with the apples.” 

You shook your head. “Fruit doesn’t belong in a salad unless it’s fruit salad. Besides, let’s table this conversation. We’re at the fair: show some respect.” You gestured at all of the fried food stands around you, not a green vegetable in sight. “Salad talk is forbidden here.” You all laughed. “But Bucky, I am so in love with you that if you make me a salad with apples and strawberries and oranges and whatever the hell else—” you shuddered at the thought of it, “I promise to try it.” 

Bucky laughed at your dramatics and gave you a kiss. 

“Alright, boys. Snack time’s over. Get off your asses and let’s go win me some prizes.” 

You left the food area and headed towards the game booths, but all of the delicious food aromas had you dreaming of what you’d try next. 

“I’m going to eat so much tonight that you guys are going to have to roll me home,” you informed your boyfriends as you walked along the fairgrounds. 

“But first, step right up! And roll ‘round merrily!” the attendant at the merry-go-round called to you. You decided to get on the ride, one of your childhood favorites. As you walked up you noticed that instead of horses this version had...machines? Metal bugs? 

“Chitauri leviathans,” Steve explained. “Someone’s got a sense of humor.” 

You mounted your mechanical alien creature, which seemed to come alive when the ride started. You expected a standard merry-go-round experience—where the animal you were sitting on simply went up and down as the platform turned—but the leviathans felt alive. Their bodies undulated as if they were in flight. It was a strange sensation, but kind of cool. All the fun of alien flight without the risks. 

“Now I can tell Nat she’s not special: I’ve ridden a Chitauri too,” Bucky said. 

“It’s not normally that pleasant,” Steve said. 

“To you,” Bucky retorted. Steve just rolled his eyes as the three of you kept walking. 

You saw a red, white, and blue booth ahead and went towards it. It was Captain America-themed, as you had suspected. It was a shield-throwing game. Metal frisbees decorated like his shield were to be thrown through slots. The version of the game intended for the superheroes in attendance featured targets mounted at different angles that moved back and forth and side to side. Some of the slots even rotated! The other version of the game, for friends and family such as yourself, was a lot easier. The slots were all horizontal and didn’t move, and they were also wider than those of the difficult version. That version’s slots didn’t have extra room—there was no margin for error. That gave your boyfriends a lot of trouble. They tried. And tried. Bucky was actually better than Steve. After three rounds, Bucky won you one of the mini shields. 

“I’ve got this. I just need one more try,” Steve said, sounding like your Gramma Lou on her fourth hour at the casino. 

“Give it up, pal,” Bucky said.

“C’mon, Stevie. I wanna go on the swings! They’ve always been my favorite.” He let you tug him away from the game but you knew he wasn’t finished there by the way he was looking at it. 

You got in line at the swings and looked up to where figures flew through the air high above you, some people kicking their legs or flinging their arms out. The ride eventually slowed down and brought the passengers back down. The previous group filed out, one man retrieving the flip flops he had discarded before getting on the ride. When it was all clear, the gate opened and you were able to choose your seat. The metal chains clinked around you as people got seated. Steve got a seat slightly to the right and front of you and Bucky got a seat that was a little bit back and to your left. You raised the metal bar and ducked under it, sitting down and securing the clip. The attendant came around tugging on the bars, making sure everyone was safely strapped in. It wasn’t long before you were soaring through the skies, enjoying the view and the exhilarating rush the ride provided. It was over way too soon, as you felt the ride slow down and lower you to the ground. You took your boyfriends by the hands and led them down the path, searching for the next game. 

Steve pointed out the ladders, which you had never tried at fairs in the past, not wanting to waste money on something that would surely embarrass you. You enjoyed watching other people embarrass themselves, though. The boys weren’t having that today, pulling you in front of the standard ladder while they approached theirs. Their ladders actually twisted, turned, and shook. Mini canons mounted at all angles launched softballs at them to knock them off their game. 

Of course, all those obstacles didn’t phase them, and they were still able to trash talk each other as they worked their way up. You had better reflexes and core strength than the last time you had been to the fair, and made it halfway before the ladder flipped and you fell over, bouncing onto the soft surface beneath you. You made your way off, watching the boys make progress. Sam walked up and stood next to you.

“Hey, Sam!” you smiled. You saw he had a whole cart full of prizes that he was lugging behind him. “Woah. Someone’s been busy!”

He laughed. “I love all this carnival stuff.” 

“Me too,” you said appreciatively. 

Sam’s face suddenly turned serious. “Listen, Amy. I want to apologize.” 

“Apologize? For what?”

“The other night. I thought they knew I was joking when I suggested Never Gonna Give You Up. Sometimes I forget that they’re not from this time period, that they don’t understand all the references.”

You tried to graciously accept his apology, but you started giggling. 

“I’m sorry. It really shouldn’t be funny because they were so upset, but it was just such a ridiculous moment. All of those romantic declarations culminating in that absurd song.” You shook your head. 

Sam smiled nervously, unsure if he was welcome to laugh too. “They were _very_ mad at me, but I think they’ve forgiven me. I know how important that night was to the three of you.”

“It was still special, even with the rickrolling.” 

“Okay, good. They made it sound like I ruined the whole night.” 

“They are such drama queens, Sam. Don’t listen to them.” 

“Can I quote you on that?” he grinned. 

“Of course,” you smiled. 

“Next time they try to guilt-trip me I’m calling you.”

“Don’t let them guilt-trip you. Trust me, that night ended very well for them.” 

He laughed. “That video you sent them the other day was really funny, by the way. Except it meant that me and Nat had to explain to them what OnlyFans was.” 

Your eyes widened in horror. _They showed Sam the video? And Nat?! And they laughed at it???_

“You saw the videos I sent them?!”

“Oh! No! Not those. I’m sorry. They were asking us what OnlyFans was and I told them that they didn’t need to be on there if they had a girlfriend—”

“Smart.”

“Nat and I were curious what they were looking at, so we took their phone and saw the video where you, ah, talked about taking matters into your own hands. But we didn’t see any of the videos after that! I swear!”

You sighed with relief. “You scared me! I thought I was going to have to kick their asses!” 

You both laughed. One of the balls that pelted Steve rolled to the barrier right in front of you and Sam. “Well, if you ever need backup…” he said as he picked up the stray ball. He chucked it at Bucky just as he was reaching for the next rung. Bucky lost his balance and fell, Steve cheering before almost losing his balance and going back to the task at hand.

Bucky stalked over to where you and Sam stood laughing and pulled Sam up onto the inflatable platform. Bucky put him in a headlock but Sam quickly got out of it. As Sam triumphantly walked away, Bucky grabbed him around the middle and tackled him. While they were squabbling, Steve reached the top of the ladder, rang the bell, and got you a Cap plushie. 

“Aww. Thanks, baby,” you said when he presented it to you with a smile. You gave him a kiss. 

“Looks like Steve’s about to steal your girl,” Sam taunted Bucky as they continued to wrestle.

“That punk? Never.” 

“Really?” Steve threw you over his shoulder. “Because I’m pretty sure this is me, stealing your girl.” 

“Steve! Honestly!” you laughed, smacking him half-heartedly on the back. 

“Hi, Amy. Need some help?” You looked up and saw Carol. 

“Yes!” you replied. “Get me down!”

While Steve backed away from Carol, you took the opportunity to reach down and tickle him, hitting the spot you knew would bring him to his knees. Perfect. Now you could stand and smirk at him. 

“Looks like you didn’t need my help after all,” Carol said.

“‘Course I did. You’re what we in the industry call a distraction.”

“And what industry is that?” Bucky’s voice came behind you. 

“Mischief.”

Carol and the woman holding her hand laughed. 

“Amy, this is my wife Maria.”

“Carol’s told me so much about you!” you said. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you as well. Seen a lot, too.” 

You looked at her in confusion. 

“We’re just coming from the Tunnel of Love,” she said, wrapping an arm around Carol’s waist and squeezing her wife’s body a little closer to her. You hadn’t thought about other people riding a ride that was highly specific to your love story with the boys. _I bet most people who rode it didn’t know what the heck was going on_ , you thought amusedly _._

“It turned out amazing,” Carol said to Bucky. “Even better than you described!”

Bucky rubbed your back. “Well, this one liked it—”

“ _Loved_ it,” you corrected.

He smiled down at you. “This one _loved_ it, and that’s all that matters.” 

“We’ll let you lovebirds be on your way,” Maria said. You bade the couple goodbye. 

“Now, I would like to walk out of here with a humongous stuffed animal that I can’t even carry myself. Is one of you gonna win it for me or am I gonna have to do that on my own?” you said, hands on your hips. The boys laughed with you and you kept walking, hand in hand, playing games. 

**...**

Steve swung the mallet down hard, connecting loudly with the head of the toy Thanos that appeared in the back left corner of the machine. You and Bucky cheered him on—he was so close to the high score! The only person who had scored higher at Hulk-Smash-A-Foe was, well, the Hulk. The Hulked-out version of Whack-A-Mole included a mallet that was painted like Hulk’s fist and toy versions of major villains. Steve instinctively brought down the mallet on the Mysterio that appeared in the bottom right, but of course it didn’t connect with anything—most of the times Mysterio popped up it wasn’t a toy, but rather an incredibly sophisticated hologram that you gained no points for hitting and often distracted you from an actual target. 

“Middle!” you and Bucky shouted at the same time. Steve was able to hit the Ultron that appeared and secure the high score. His excited cheer and two fists raised in the air in victory were adorable. He insisted on getting two prizes, and even the booth attendant couldn’t resist his smile, handing over two stuffed infinity gauntlets that Steve presented to you and Bucky. 

“Hello!” You turned around to see Thor, holding a humongous turkey leg in one hand, his other arm thrown around the shoulders of a woman. 

You all greeted each other before Thor held the woman tighter to him, causing her to roll her eyes and duck out of his grasp. He faltered for a moment before continuing with what he wanted to say: “Allow me to introduce you to the king of Asgard, the last of the Valkyrie, noble leader, valiant warrior—” 

“Val,” she interrupted. “You can call me Val.” 

“Hi, Val,” Steve said. “It’s nice to see you outside the battlefield.” 

“Agreed. I don’t get much time away from Asgard these days.” 

“Save for when you attend wonderful festivals such as this one.” He turned to you three. “I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Get it? From that movie?” 

“I don’t think that means what you think it means, but regardless, I’m glad you’re here Val.” 

“Yes, well, when I accepted Thor’s invitation I was under the impression that there would be more alcohol.”

“I thought a barrel of mead would be sufficient.” 

“When have you ever attended a festival where one barrel of mead was sufficient?”

“Fair point. However, this festival includes tests of skill that one may need all of their faculties for.” 

“Interesting theory, considering _I_ now hold the axe-throwing high score and _you_ are banned from that booth.” 

“How many times do I have to tell you? The oils and fats from the turkey leg that I am enjoying greased my hand. The axe slipped! A simple mishap.” 

“Tell that to the man you almost beheaded.” They paused for a moment and then both burst out laughing. He put his arm back around her shoulder and she let it stay there for the time being. 

She pointed at you and it made you a little nervous. “I’ve heard a great deal about you. Two paramours, hm? How many more lovers do you plan to take?” 

“Uh, I think I’ll stick with two for now.” 

“For now?” Bucky asked bemusedly. 

“For now,” you sassed back. 

“Well, when you’re ready for a third—” Val slapped Thor on the chest, “I’m sure this one would be happy to—” 

Thor placed a hand over Val’s mouth. “Oh, no. She’s had entirely too much mead and now the poor thing is delirious, isn’t that right?” He looked down at her and she bit his hand. He pulled it away quickly. He smiled at you and used the arm around her shoulders to forcefully guide her away. He laughed nervously. “It is past her bedtime. We are going to take our leave of you now. Goodbye.” 

As Thor dragged her away, Val looked over her shoulder and called back to you. “Do you take women? If Thor here doesn’t apply for that third spot, I might!” She wore a satisfied grin as Thor picked up the pace, hurrying her away from the three of you. 

You laughed and kept walking until you stopped to play skeeball. Steve and Bucky talked a big game—they had hustled skeeball for hot dog money back in the day. Bucky even cracked his knuckles before playing, determined to win you a prize. What your boyfriends didn’t know was that you had your own skeeball history. It involved lots of Chuck E. Cheese birthdays and a childhood dream to win the big prize: a colorful, plastic disco ball that cost 50,000 tickets. That spinning, light-up lamp had stopped disco-ing long ago, but still sat in your room at home to this day, collecting dust. The bowling alley you and your friends sometimes went to had a machine where you kept your skills sharp. Your Chuck E. Cheese experience was more than a match for the boys’ Coney Island training, and you managed to outscore them. It was nice to be handing them prizes for a change.

You were grateful for the backpack you had been given at the first booth to hold your prizes because it left your hands free to hold your boyfriends’, and you walked with them through the colorful maze that was the fair. 

“Hey! Axe throwing! Let’s see if we can beat Val’s high score,” Bucky said. 

“Good luck with that,” Nat said, walking up and joining you at the booth. 

The axes were scaled-down versions of an actual weapon of Thor’s named Stormbreaker. Nat had good aim, but the axes required a lot of force to remain lodged in the wooden target. Steve excelled at this, despite Bucky’s numerous attempts to throw him off his game. Bucky was doing pretty well, too, but you felt like giving him a taste of his own medicine. As he raised his arms to throw, his shirt was lifted, and your hand lightly brushed his exposed waist. The axe landed just right of center. Bucky turned to you. You could tell that he was about to playfully scold you for distracting him when a voice came from behind you. 

“A little rusty, _ncuka emhlophe_ ,” a voice came behind you.

Bucky whipped around and gathered a beautiful, smiling woman in his arms. 

“Okoye!” he said. He looked over her shoulder and saw the younger woman behind her. 

“Shuri!” He immediately hugged her as well before giving a jovial handshake to the man with them, who you recognized as the Black Panther. 

“T’Challa! I didn’t know you guys were coming! Where’s Nakia?” 

“Right here,” a stunning woman said as she walked up, hugging Bucky. “Hi, Bucky.” 

Steve cleared his throat and everyone remembered you two were there. Everyone greeted Steve warmly and you awkwardly extended a hand to the first woman, Okoye. 

Her smile was inviting. “It’s so nice to meet you.” 

Before you knew it, you were being hugged by the younger girl, Shuri. “ _Finally!_ I’ve been dying to meet you!” Once the shock wore off you hugged her back. You shook the hands of the other two: Nakia and T’Challa. 

“We were about to head to the Ferris wheel if you want to walk with us,” Steve said. 

The Wakandans quickly agreed. “Y’know, M’Baku is around here somewhere,” T’Challa was saying to Bucky. The men walked behind while the women hurried you ahead—not quite out of earshot of your boyfriends, but far away enough that they’d have to strain to hear you over the sounds of the carnival. 

“Okay. You have to tell us _everything_ ,” Nakia whispered excitedly. 

You looked at her in surprise. 

“Oh, don’t be shy: we want all the details about you and the White Wolf.”

“White Wolf?” That better not be an Italian Stallion-style euphemism for a man who had slept his way through the entire nation of Wakanda. You didn’t want to slut-shame him, but if all the women in Wakanda were as gorgeous as these three then you didn’t need to hear about it. 

“Just a nickname,” Nat explained, reading you as always. _Phew._

“We want to know all about the woman who inspired the Tunnel of Love,” Nakia said. 

“I never knew Bucky could be so sappy,” Okoye said. 

“Yeah, well he and Steve bring that out in each other,” you said. 

“Not like this. Steve visited Wakanda many times, but neither of them so much as presented a flower to each other.” 

“Yeah, well, there are other, subtler ways, to show your affection.” 

“And yet they choose to love you out loud,” Okoye said. You had never thought about it like that. You chanced a glance back at your boys. They were talking with T’Challa but met your eyes, smiling at you. You turned back around, smiling yourself. 

“Before you ask; yes, they’re always this nauseating,” Nat said with a good-natured smile. 

“I think it’s sweet,” Shuri said. “When he called me for advice after your date, I had no idea it would turn out like this.” 

“He called you?” 

“Yes. He realized his mistake in asking those guys for help with planning.” 

“God, I wish I hadn’t been on a no-contact mission when all this went down,” Nat said. “By the time I got back to New York they were the giggling messes you see now.” 

A large, handsome man was walking towards your group, carrying a stuffed Ant-Man that was bigger than him under one arm. “Hello!” he called, and your companions greeted him in return. He came over to you, shaking your hand. “The woman of the hour!” he said, voice warm and joyful. 

“Hello,” you said. 

“M’Baku,” he introduced himself. “Pleased to meet you.” 

He was very cute. You smiled at him as he went to talk to your boyfriends and you kept walking. 

“Two boyfriends isn’t enough for you?” Okoye asked with a raised eyebrow.

“What? I’m allowed to look!” 

You both laughed. 

“Oh, I like you,” Okoye said. 

“The question is,” Natasha said, “are _they_ allowed to look?” 

“Of course not!” you responded, laughing again with Nat and Okoye. 

“It’s a good thing they only have eyes for you, then. And hands. And mouths. You know, I saw a _lot_ on Halloween.” You put your hands to your face, embarrassed, as Nat continued, much to the delight of Shuri, Nakia and Okoye: “I’ve never seen that side of them. Didn’t even know it existed. Dirty dancing, making out on the couch—I know they were relieved of their inhibitions for the evening, but if they were willing to do that to you in _public_ …” 

You grinned sheepishly. You were meeting Bucky’s Wakandan friends for the very first time and this is what you talked about? “Yeah, well, I may need a glass of Asgardian wine before I’m ready to divulge all the dirty details.”

“Ah, yes. I’m still waiting on my invitation to one of your wine nights.”

“You’ve got one. Our next one probably won’t be until after the holidays, but you will be the first to know.” 

“What about us?”

Nakia slapped her on the arm. “ _Okoye_ ,” she hissed. 

“The more, the merrier! I’ll get your numbers from Bucky and let you know. Although, while my friend Liv does make an impressive charcuterie board, I’m not sure it’s worth traveling halfway across the world for.” 

“Perhaps, but the dirty details are almost certainly worth the trip!” 

You laughed as your group finally approached the Ferris wheel.

...

The sky mirrored cotton candy, with fluffy clouds and streaks of pink and purple alight with the glow of the setting sun. Rather than a brilliant red blaze like the sunset in Tuscany, this was a soft sunset, bathing the carnival in a dreamy light. You were stopped at the top, watching the natural light show. You were also watching the wonders that were your boyfriends. They looked heavenly in this light. Divinely beautiful. The love you felt for them threatened to overwhelm you, but then the wheel turned and you were brought back down to earth, where your feelings were a little bit more manageable. 

You waited on your friends to exit the ride, and you noticed Sam had ridden with Okoye and Nakia. _When did he get here?_ He made a show of helping them out of the ride. He said something that made Okoye roll her eyes and smile. He jogged over to where you, Steve, and Bucky were standing. He had his signature grin on his face. 

“I see you, Sam,” you said. 

“You saw that, huh?”

“Game recognize game.” 

You both laughed. “What can I say? The ladies love me.”

You rolled your eyes. 

Sam clapped his hands together. “Now, who’s ready to ride Iron Vengeance? 90 degree drops, over _thirty seconds_ of air time, ten inversions—including zero-g rolls, and, get this: top speed is 150 miles per hour!”

“No way!” Bucky said, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. 

“‘No way’ is right,“ Steve muttered, considerably less enthused. You were right there with him. 

“Y’all have fun. I think I’m gonna sit this one out.” 

“Guys!” Bucky whined. 

“No way. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the time you made me ride that coaster until I puked.” 

“We were eleven!”

“Wound’s still fresh,” Steve said dramatically. Bucky rolled his eyes and gave each of you a peck before taking off with Sam. 

“Come on,” Steve pulled you by the hand. “I’ve got an idea.” You let him lead you through the rows as he walked determinedly, eventually stopping in front of the airbrush t-shirt booth. “I was thinking maybe we could get shirts made? Surprise Bucky? It’s not underwear, but it’s a start.”

You nodded eagerly, looking at the designs. Bucky was gonna love this. 

…….

You had just showered and thrown on some old PJs. You were headed to the bed when Bucky spoke up. 

“What are those?” 

You looked around, trying to figure out what he was talking about. He pointed at your legs. “ _Those._ ”

“My sleep shorts?” 

“Yeah.” 

You looked down at them. “They’re just…” A ratty old pair of boxers that had been a stocking stuffer for Christmas several years ago. You knew they weren’t the sexiest sleepwear, but you thought you were past the point in your relationship where it mattered. You had worn boxers in front of them before, hadn’t you? You were puzzled until you looked at the pattern on this particular pair of boxers: navy blue with light blue stars and red, white, and blue shield symbols. You were wearing Captain America underwear. In front of Captain America. _How emba—_

“Cool,” Steve smiled. 

Relieved, you climbed into bed with your boyfriends. 

“You haven’t worn those before,” Steve said. 

“Yes, well, I’m just starting to add the less-sexy pieces to my sleepover wardrobe.” 

Bucky snorted. “Sleepover wardrobe?” 

“Yeah. When we first started dating, I wanted to wear my cutest pajamas around you two.” 

Bucky nodded. He was holding back an amused smile. 

“I don’t know, Amy. I think these are the sexiest pajamas you’ve worn yet!” Steve said. 

You rolled your eyes. 

“I didn’t even know they made Captain America boxers.” 

“It’s not fair that you get all the merchandise,” Bucky pouted. “Think of how much sexier she’d look with my underwear.” 

You laughed. “Hey, if you want me and Steve to get Winter Soldier underwear, just ask. I bet Steve kept a pair of those silver booty shorts from our first date. All we gotta do is paint a red star on it. Ooh! Or we could do black and gold.” 

“I’m sorry. Did you say silver booty shorts?” 

You and Steve burst out laughing. 

“One of FRIDAY’s sleepwear options for me in Paris,” Steve explained. 

“I’m now realizing that while I’ve met drunk karaoke Steve, I haven’t seen you in those shorts.” 

“I told you: there’s no amount of Hulk poison in the world!” 

You laughed. “We’ll see about that.” 

“Guys, we’re forgetting the issue at hand!” 

You sighed theatrically. “Fine, Bucky. I’ll buy some of your merch.” 

“That’s the problem—I don’t have any!” 

“They did those Howling Commandos Teddy Bears after the war—they have each of them in our museum exhibit.” 

“Yeah, but they made those after I ‘died’—that doesn’t count. Besides, they’ve been out of production for a long time.” 

“Alright. I’m making DIY underwear with ‘Property Of: Winter Soldier’ on the butt.” 

You all laughed. 

“I’ll take seven!” Steve said. “One for every day of the week!” 

“I want them to say: ‘Bucky’s Best Girl’ and ‘Bucky’s Best Guy’.”

“I like the sound of that,” Steve said, leaning over to give Bucky a kiss. 

“‘Best’ kind of implies that there are other girls and guys. I don’t like that.” 

“You two are the only ones for me, and to make that abundantly clear we can shorten it to ‘Bucky’s Girl’ and ‘Bucky’s Guy’.” 

“How about just ‘Bucky’s’?” you said softly, placing a kiss on his cheek. 

He grinned. “That works too.” 

…….

You and Steve settled on a t-shirt design: A large pink heart in the center with an ocean sunset scene portrayed on the inside. “Bucky’s Girl” was written across the top of the heart. Steve’s was the same, but with “Bucky’s Guy”. You threw the t-shirts on over your clothes and then zipped up your jackets so the reveal would be a surprise. You rushed excitedly to the exit of the coaster he and Sam had been riding non-stop for the past twenty minutes. After their eighth time around, Sam and Bucky exited the ride, Bucky pulling his windswept hair back into a low bun as he and Sam walked, exhilarated; both of their eyes bright, laughing at some joke. 

You felt like a flasher as you unzipped your coat, preparing to showcase your new shirt. Bucky’s smile grew bigger when he saw you and Steve. You opened your jackets and he read the shirts. He hurried the rest of the way to you and Steve, scooping both of you into a crushing hug. He pulled back and looked at you and Steve, shaking his head in disbelief before pulling you in for another hug. “I love you,” he whispered before releasing you. 

“Now come on,” Steve said, grabbing you and Bucky by the hand. “I’ve got another surprise.” You and Bucky exchanged glances. _What did Steve have up his sleeve?_ “C’mon Sam!” 

The four of you followed Steve to the “Sergeant Sniper” booth. It was an upgrade on the game where you shoot water to make your stuffed animal race to the top. Except in this one there were several moving targets. You had to shoot each target full of water before it would stop moving and your stuffed animal would move up an increment. The prizes at hand here weren’t just any stuffed animals: they were recreations of the original seven Howling Commandos teddy bears, including the Bucky Bear. Steve laughed bashfully at Bucky’s face of shock. 

“Like it?” 

“I love it.” 

“Well then I hope you’re good enough to win yourself one,” Steve teased. 

Bucky sat at a seat. “The real question is: how _many_ will I win.”

Steve and Sam sat on either side of him. You sat next to Sam, at one of the seats with bigger and slower-moving targets. Instead of the usual stationary water shooters with buttons, you had water guns in the style of rifles. 

“I’m kicking all of your butts, and I’m getting every bear except the Bucky and Steve ones,” Sam grinned. 

“We’ll see about that, Wilson,” you countered. 

“Have you ever even held a gun before?” 

You just smirked and nestled the butt of your rifle against your shoulder like you had done a thousand times before. 

“Shit, Amy. You almost look like you know what you’re doing,” he taunted. “You might give your boyfriends a run for their money.” 

You rolled your eyes and focused on the targets so you were ready when the game started. The sounds of the carnival faded away as you zeroed in. You only looked up when your Gabe bear reached the top. The only person already done was Bucky, and he was looking at you curiously. Sam finished soon after and Steve wasn’t far behind him. Bucky requested three of his bears and gave one to you, Steve, and Sam, which you all accepted gratefully. The attendant said that second place also got a prize, and you presented a bear to Bucky. 

“You’re a good shot,” he said. 

“Yeah, Sam—you were saying something about my skills?” 

He laughed. “I stand corrected. Wanda’s not even here to help you cheat. You got skills,” he conceded. 

“Really?”

“Game recognize game,” he grinned. 

“Have you shot a gun before?” Steve asked. 

“‘Course.” 

“Oh, of course. Because everyone is born with a rifle in their hand.” No, but you had gone shooting with your uncle since you were five years old. 

“I’m a Southern girl—we’re not ‘everyone’.”

“Uh-oh,” Sam laughed. “Watch out for Amy from the A!” 

“Well, I just needed to warm up—I want a rematch!” Steve said. 

Bucky won again, but this time you, Steve, and Sam had almost caught up to him (and each other). You got a Gabe bear and presented it to Bucky, who had gotten himself a Jacques bear—he was trying to collect them all. With four commandos to go before Bucky had a full set, Steve and Sam decided to take matters into their own hands. They prompted you and Bucky to keep the booth attendant distracted while they snuck around. Bucky regaled you and the worker with a story of him and Gabe in a European pub, Gabe using his French language skills to pick up girls: 

“Of course I was trying to make Steve jealous, have Gabe translate all my best lines. We got ‘em giggling, bought ‘em a few drinks, danced. When suddenly this horde of burly guys bursts in, the dames bolt…” 

You fought to keep your eyes on Bucky and away from the back of the booth, where Sam and Steve were liberating the stuffed animal versions of Dum Dum, Monty, and Jim. Steve accidentally yanked the Monty bear a little too hard and a lot of bears fell. He quickly caught them all before they could hit the ground and tip off the attendant. Bucky upped his sound effects, facial expressions, and gestures to keep attention away from Steve, who was trying to hook the fallen bears back into place as Sam mouthed orders at him, yelling wordlessly. You were biting your lip now, trying to keep it together. 

Steve nodded when he had safely retrieved the bears and stealthily jumped out of the back of the booth, signaling that Bucky could give the punchline of the story: “And then I said, ‘Pardon _my_ English’!” The person working the booth was doubled over with laughter at the conclusion of the wild story. Bucky was still laughing as you left. You met up with Steve and Sam a little bit down the way. They presented the bears to Bucky. 

“A harrowing journey to present these tokens of affection to you, dear prince,” Steve said with a bow. 

Bucky blushed and shoved Steve’s shoulder. He added the bears to his backpack. They would end up on a shelf on the wall across from his bed, which was turning into a veritable art gallery, with Steve’s sketches and painting and some of the Limited Edition Poison Ivy comic books he had recently purchased, encased in glass. Steve’s Bucky bear ended up on his bed, as would yours. Steve had also stolen you a Steve bear, so you would have both of your boyfriends to curl up with at night. 

“Buck! I almost forgot to tell you! You’ll never believe who I ran into today at Peter’s school!” 

“Oh, yeah. How did the pep rally go?” 

“Good. Peppy. But I met with the principal beforehand. I thought I was hallucinating: spitting image of Jim. Turns out he’s his grandson!” 

“Jim’s grandson is Peter’s principal?!”

“Yep. Mr. Morita. Nice guy.” 

“I’ll have to stop by one day, say hello.” 

“I’d love to hear more of your stories from those days,” you said. 

“And I would love,” Sam said, “to do extreme bumper cars!” Steve was immediately down, but you were apprehensive. Steve and Sam were successful in getting Bucky to join them, but not you—you were content to watch them slam the cars into each other, yelling and laughing the whole time. 

“But _dad_ ,” you heard a familiar voice whine behind you, “I wanna do the bumper cars!”

“I don’t think so,” Tony said. “It looks a little rough, even for us.” 

You turned around. “Morgan? Is that you?”

“Amy!” She ran and jumped into your arms. “I wanna go on the bumper cars. Tell him!” she urged you, pointing at her dad, who had been shaking his head behind her back. 

“This ride? Nah. Boring. I think I saw a spaceship ride back there that I wanted to check out. Wanna join me?” You held out a hand to her. She took it, and she stuck her tongue out at her dad. 

“Spaceships means no boys allowed!”

Tony raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I hear you. I’ll catch up with you two later.” He sent you a grateful smile as you and Morgan walked to the family-friendly section of the fair. 

You had walked by it earlier and noticed a rocket ship version of the popular Disney Dumbo ride. However now that you stood in line you could see that the ships didn’t appear to be attached to anything—they hovered in the air and seemed to whir in a circle of their own accord, bouncing up and down as they went. Morgan was telling you all about her school project on plants when your turn came. You got in the ride, making sure she was safely buckled in. It was surprisingly fun. You had expected a low-thrills kiddie ride, but these rockets had some serious speed. Morgan insisted on riding it two more times before you left. 

“Can we get ice cream?” she asked in a way that made you suspicious. 

“Would your parents want you to have ice cream right now?”

“...Yes…” 

“Well, that was convincing,” you joked. “You don’t have any allergies?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. 

You made sure you had a firm grip on her hand as you took her for ice cream—she was a kid at the fair, after all. Besides, Tony hadn’t explicitly told you _not_ to let her have a banana split with extra chocolate sauce. You did, however, do your darndest to keep her from wearing the dessert, which was a full-time job. She was halfway through the frozen treat and starting to slow down when Tony walked up with an amused smile on his face. 

“Morgan H. Stark!” he gasped theatrically. She giggled. “I let you stay up past your bedtime and you repay me by breaking the ‘No sweets after 8’ rule?” 

She pointed at you. “Amy said I could!”

“Hey!” you said, getting her to laugh again.

“Tell you what,” Tony said, “you let me have some of that ice cream and I won’t tell mom.” 

“Deal!” she smiled. Tony helped her finish her ice cream. 

“Alright, Morgan. Time to go home.” 

“What? No!” she pouted. 

“Say goodbye to Amy.”

“Do we _have_ to go?” 

“Yes.” 

“Okay. Bye, Amy!” She gave you a tight hug. 

You were surprised when Tony gave you a hug too. “Thanks,” he said. “And I didn’t get a chance to tell you the other day, but you are definitely invited to every party I ever have, henceforth and in perpetuity.” 

“Is this because of the wild side I bring out in Steve and Bucky?” 

“Well, that’s a bonus. I’ll be teasing America’s Best Dance Crew for that choreography for the rest of my life.” You laughed at Tony’s new nickname for Steve. “But, that aside, you are a very fun party guest. Can’t wait for our Valentine’s Day party.” 

Now it was your turn to thank him. With one last wave, he and Morgan walked off. She was still begging to stay longer at the fair. You smiled as they traveled out of earshot, and quickly eyesight. With Morgan and Tony gone and your boyfriends who-knows-where, you had a moment to yourself. It had been such a fun night so far and there were more adventures to come. As you looked around wondering what your next move would be, the food stands around you began to pull you in with their whimsical themes, garish signage, and the delicious aromas coming from every direction—salty and sweet and meaty and fried. You perused the options, deciding how you wanted to fill your limited stomach space. 

There was a pink and purple Candy Castle where you had gotten Morgan’s ice cream. They also sold shaved ice, cotton candy, caramel apples, and tons of other sweet treats. 

Wild Bill, in all his mustached glory, tipped his cowboy hat at you, inviting you to try his sizzlin’ sausage on a stick, hush puppy corn dogs, and Texas-sized turkey legs. 

Colorful flags beckoned you to the land of fried dough: funnel cakes, churros, and elephant ears galore. 

There was a shawarma stand where you could get all kinds of wraps, falafel on a stick, and loaded lamb nachos with pita chips.

A hearty Italian man welcomed you to his “authentic” pizzeria, where you could get pizza cones, stuffed pizza, pizza on a stick, calzones, and stromboli. 

There was a stand that boasted half-pound burgers (donut bun optional), cheesesteaks, curly fries, and onion rings. 

Eventually, a huge clucking chicken peddling bacon-wrapped chicken legs and buffalo chicken chimichangas caught your eye. You grabbed some Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders which were crunchy, sweet, and served with pickles. You couldn’t resist heading back to the french fry stand for round two. You were deciding whether or not to stick with traditional plain or spice things up with cajun seasoning or perhaps chili cheese when a bewildered Wanda walked up to you. 

“Amy! Thank God! You’ve gotta help me figure out what to eat. All these options are overwhelming!” 

You laughed. “Happy to help. I can personally endorse the french fries.” 

She joined you in line. Her eyes lit up when she read the description of loaded fries on the menu. 

“I never got to thank you for helping me out on Halloween, by the way.” 

“Any time! Sam and I are always making stupid wagers and he’s so cocky when he wins!”

“That smile is infectious though, isn’t it?” 

“Yes! It’s infuriating! Even tonight—the whole team is competing to see who can win the most prizes out of everyone, but Sam and I have a side bet of our own going.” 

“Well, you’ll be happy to hear that I beat him at the sniper game. Twice. Fair and square, too.” 

“Wow. Next time I have to coordinate with you. I lost to him at inflatable basketball and now I have to let him control my social media for 24 hours.” 

“Hey, whenever you need me, you’ve got my help. Just give me a time and a place.” 

A blond guy walked up to you. “Where are we going?” 

“Nowhere,” Wanda huffed. 

“Hello,” he said in an accent you couldn’t quite place. He punctuated his greeting with a wink. 

“Pietro, _behave_ ,” Wanda whisper-scolded him. “I am sorry about him,” she said to you. “This is my brother, Pietro.”

He wore a cocky smile and extended a hand towards you. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

You shook his outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you, too.” 

“Wanda, run along,” Pietro said to his sister without taking his eyes off you. 

Wanda rolled her eyes at her brother’s antics. “She’s got two boyfriends.” 

“Maybe she wants a third. Who are you to judge?”

You laughed at that. _Why do people keep asking me that tonight?_

“Her boyfriends are Captain America and The Winter Soldier.”

“I’m not scared of them.” He shrugged and walked off. 

Wanda tried to apologize again but you waved it off. “Siblings,” you said, and she nodded in agreement. 

You got your food and sat down at one of the picnic tables. Wanda was telling you about one of the rides that simulated soaring through space when Pietro sat down next to you, plopping a tray full of sweets on the table: elephant ears, deep-fried Twinkies, cotton candy, candy apples, and Dip n’ Dots. 

“So,” he said. “What are we talking about?” 

“How I beat you at Strange’s game.” Wanda’s accent was thicker around her brother. 

“That’s not fair! You cheated!”

“And _you_ didn’t?” you asked. 

He looked at you appraisingly. “Maybe a little.” 

“So it sounds to me like she just cheated better than you—which, in my book, means she won fair and square.” 

He pointed at Wanda with a churro. “I want a rematch.” 

“We’ll see,” Wanda said, smiling. 

“So Pietro, do you live in the Tower? I’m surprised I’ve never met you before.” 

“No, I don’t. I travel a lot. But Wanda always calls to tell me about free food,” he gestured at his plate, which was already empty. It had been full just a minute ago. _Did he already eat all of that food?_ “Do you live in the tower? Are you superpowered?” 

“Me? No. I’m not an Avenger, I just sleep with a few of them.” 

“Some consider me an Avenger. You know, in case that’s your criteria for boyfriends.” 

“You’re not an Avenger,” Wanda said exasperatedly, like they had argued about this a thousand times.

“I’m a superpowered individual who has fought alongside the Avengers.” 

“That doesn’t make you an Avenger.” 

“Of course it does!” 

You looked on in amusement at the sibling quarrel—you knew exactly what that bickering was like, and enjoyed the rare glimpse of it from the outside. 

“I’m loving the necklace, Wanda,” you said, trying to distract them from their quarrel. 

“Thanks! It’s nice, isn’t it? It’s the prize from Dr. Strange’s booth.” 

“The game Pietro’s bad at?”

“Exactly the one!” 

“Hey!” Pietro said. “I am _not_ bad at it.” 

“Prove it,” you said, standing up. “You want your rematch and I want to win one of those necklaces, so let’s go!” 

When you got to the booth, Strange fixed the twins with an exasperated look. “You again.” 

“Good to see you, too!” Pietro said cheerfully, mocking the man in the cape. This Strange guy had really leaned into the whole carnival thing. All he needed was a crystal ball. “We brought our friend here to try her luck.” 

“Hi! I don’t know if you remember me, but we met at the Halloween party.” 

“Oh, I remember you, alright. Nice dance moves.” That was very generous, considering that you had straddled Steve while he was mid-conversation with Dr. Strange.

“Thanks?” 

“Alright. Let’s play. This game is pretty straightforward—toss the rings onto the bottles. The only catch? You have to throw the rings through the portals in front of you. Three of the portals lead to the bottles, but the other four lead to other places in the booth. You get five rings. That’s five chances to get a ring around each bottle. Got it?”

You nodded. There were seven portals, so you’d have to get a little lucky with identifying which ones led to the bottles. And then you’d have to hope you could actually get the ring around the darn things. You tossed a ring through the middle portal and it fell from the ceiling at the back of the booth. Four more chances. You tried the portal on the second from the right. The ring hit the neck of the middle bottle. So close! You threw it again, this time a little higher and a little gentler. It landed! You cheered and were surprised when Wanda and Pietro cheered too, just as excited as you were. However you only had two rings left. These next throws had to be perfect. 

“C’mon, spidey senses,” you murmured to yourself as you waved your hands in front of the portals, trying to get a feel for where they led. You took a chance on the leftmost one and threw the ring in the same way as before. It caught the rim of the right-hand bottle and circled it a few times. You held your breath as you watched, and when the ring slid down the neck of the bottle you felt like your team had just won the Super Bowl. Wanda and Pietro whooped and cheered as you jumped up and down. 

“You haven’t actually won yet, you know,” Strange said with a wry smile. 

“It’s about the _journey_ ,” you told him. But he was right. You had one bottle and one chance left. You felt good about the portal to the immediate left of center. You had indeed lucked out by picking the correct portal, however this one was positioned differently than the other two. It was directly over the bottle, so your ring fell sideways from the sky. As you looked on in dismay at your prospects of winning the necklace, you saw an almost-imperceptible spark of red and your ring turned the tiniest bit as it fell, allowing it to land perfectly on the bottle. You gathered Wanda into a huge hug as Strange begrudgingly presented you with a necklace. 

“That’s how it’s done, Pietro,” you said. 

He stayed at the booth to try again as you and Wanda kept moving. She showed you her favorite prize that she had won so far: a cube lamp that glowed blue. It was meant to stand tipped on its side rather than flat, and it was absolutely mesmerizing to look at. It looked like a lava lamp. Or a block of ice. Or a glass box containing blue hellfire. You could tap at its surface to dim the light or turn it back up. Apparently, it was a replica of something called a Tesseract, and it was from Loki’s booth. Wanda and someone named Mantis were the only two people to have beaten his game, which had a deceptively simple premise: identify the real Loki out of a sea of imposters. Oh, and there was the small fact of his “game” taking place in your mind. After another look at the Tesseract lamp, you decided it looked cool enough that you were willing to risk the mind games. On the way there, Wanda was whisked away by Bruce, who wanted her to try out his Hulk-Smash-A-Foe game. That left you to face Loki alone. 

He smiled when he saw you and asked how you’d been. You smiled politely, unsure what to make of him. Although in your experience he had been generally kind, a little meddlesome, and kinda funny, his past was more than questionable. 

“As a rule, impersonating people is wrong. But you sure chose a helluva moment at that party.” 

He laughed. “I got an earful from my brother for it, but it was worth it. I think I’ve got his mannerisms down, don’t you?” 

You nodded. “Alright. Enough small talk. I’m here to win that lamp.” 

He explained the rules—how illusions would appear and your job was to find the real him. The playing field on which the game took place changed from person to person because wherever you appeared was supposedly a reflection of your psyche and the inner workings of your mind. _Ooooh. Mysterious_ , you thought sarcastically. 

“I heard that!” Loki said, laughing. A little weird that he was already in your head. Soon, you left the carnival behind and ventured into your mind. 

All this talk of delves into the psyche and the power of deduction had you thinking of the Sherlock TV series, so you supposed you shouldn’t have been surprised when you were transported to Sherlock’s mind palace. You traveled down a spiral staircase and were confronted by a long hallway that stretched out endlessly, meaning endless rooms for you to search in your quest to identify the real Loki.

The first door led to the morgue, and all of the mortuary cabinets were open and occupied by a lifeless Loki. While you had heard that he wasn’t above playing dead, you figured Loki would be playing a more active role in this game. As you turned to leave the room, the cabinets started opening and closing rapidly; slamming shut before bursting open again. Creepy. You firmly shut the door to that room behind you. When you got back into the hallway you realized that the staircase you had come down was gone. In its place, another endless corridor extended into infinity. This whole experience felt like a weird dream. There was nothing to do but open doors, so you went to the one directly across from you. It led to a padded cell. 

“Glad my psyche found a way to top the morgue,” you grumbled to yourself. 

Loki was chained in the corner. Considering his reputation, this might be the most likely place to find him. Perhaps a little too likely. He turned and opened his mouth to monologue, but you turned around and left. You couldn’t keep going through doors like this forever—you needed to focus. This was _your_ psyche, right? There had to be a home-court advantage. You walked to the next door and turned the handle, willing it to be the room Loki was in. He was in an office talking to a childhood version of you.

“Gotcha,” you said. 

He smiled. “Do you?” 

You didn’t know how you knew it, but he was going to run. The room shrunk so you were right next to him. You put a hand on his shoulder. “Yes. I do.” 

You were suddenly back at the carnival. It was jarring. Loki was looking at you curiously as he handed over the Tesseract lamp. “How did you do that?” 

“Well, it was _my_ mind, wasn’t it?” 

He nodded, conceding. You tried and failed several times to stuff the lamp into your very full backpack. 

“There’s a stall down that way,” he pointed, “that has wagons and satchels for prize-carrying.” 

Surprisingly helpful. “Thank you.” 

You followed his directions to the Guest Services booth, where you got a small cart that you could wheel your prizes around in. Nat was there trading up her cart from medium to large to hold all her loot. And you thought _you_ had a lot of prizes. 

“Damn, Nat!” 

“What can I say? I play to win.” 

“Respect.” 

“I see you mastered both Strange and Loki’s games.” 

“I may have had a small assist from Wanda at Strange’s.” 

She laughed. “I heard there’s also a Mirror Dimension Hall we can visit—wanna go?”

You agreed and the two of you wheeled your carts across the fairgrounds, giving replays of the games you had played. Bucky had texted Nat about your sniper skills. “Maybe you _are_ ready for weapons training.”

“To be honest, I’m fine with putting that off a bit longer. It’s not like I can count on having a weapon in every scenario.”

“Said like a true strategist.” 

Dr. Strange’s Hall of Mirrors was even more of a trip than Loki’s mind palace. Each room seemed to be simultaneously expanding infinitely and collapsing in on itself. The dazzling optical illusion made you fearful to walk because you were so disoriented. When the ceiling slanted and threatened to fall on you, you jumped out of the way, hitting your shoulder on the wall and falling to the floor dramatically, collapsing into a heap of giggles. It took Nat a few moments to adjust before she could guide you out of the first room. You eventually got the hang of it too. When you finally made it back outside you felt like you could kiss the ground. 

Nat sighed. “I need a drink. Or to never drink again. I can’t tell.” 

“Whatever is vexing you, I can assure you that sobriety is not the solution,” Thor said, walking up to you two with a grin. 

“I like your face paint,” you said, referring to the pink, red, and blue lightning bolt painted across his face. 

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” he smiled. “Would you like to accompany me to the Mjolnir attraction?” he asked you and Nat. 

“I’m gonna sit this one out, Bowie. I’ve still gotta get my land legs back. And get back to winning prizes.” 

“I wish you great fortune in that quest, Natasha.” You both waved her goodbye. “Amy?” 

“I’m in!” 

You walked to the Mjolnir ride. It was exactly like those rides where you board a ship and it swings back and forth in a half-circle arc. Except instead of a ship it was an upside-down Mjolnir. 

“You have certainly acquired a great many spoils of victory,” he said, gesturing to your cart. “Including one from my brother. I’ve known him my whole life, and yet I’m still getting tricked by him,” he said, laughing. 

“Siblings,” you said sympathetically. 

“Indeed. I was wary about his participation this evening, yet it seems that I needn’t’ve worried. Most have avoided him altogether, so even attempting his game is a testament to your bravery. Your valor and your victory against him demonstrate why you are worthy to wield Mjolnir.” _That’s a serious compliment. Should I tell him that it’s just a carnival game? Should I tell him that applications for my third boyfriend aren’t opening any time soon?_

“Well, it’s also a testament to how badly I wanted to win that lamp.” 

He laughed. “That too.”

You boarded the ride and swung back and forth through the air, sitting in a gigantic mechanical Mjolnir. This had always been one of your favorite types of rides as a kid, and you were glad that you still found it fun. When you got off, Thor asked if you would go with him to get some food and you agreed. You’d had your eyes on the Peaches N’ Cream nachos at the Candy Castle: a bed of cinnamon sugar pita chips with Peaches 'n’ Cream ice cream, peach topping, a drizzle of honey, and crushed pecans, finished with whipped cream, a cherry, and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Yum. 

Thor was telling you about his favorite Asgardian foods as you walked, and then you stood in line with him to get his stromboli. You were deciding if you actually wanted to get a funnel cake sundae instead of the peaches n’ cream nachos when you heard Steve yell your name. You turned and saw him rushing over to you. He had a plate in one hand but threw his free arm around your shoulders. “We thought we’d lost you!” 

“Where’s Bucky?”

“I lost him, too.” 

“He’ll find his way back to us.” 

Steve slipped his arm around your waist and held you close to him. “I missed you,” he murmured into your ear before giving you a kiss on the temple. 

“I missed you more,” you said, rising on your tippy-toes to give him a kiss. You didn’t even care that you were being _that_ couple. 

“How did I know I’d find you two by the food?” 

“Bucky!” 

“Sorry I disappeared on you, Steve. I just had to get this made.” He opened his jacket to reveal a shirt that matched you and Steve’s, with your names on it. You and Steve reached for him at the same time, pulling him closer so you could both give him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Love you,” the three of you said in unison. 

You were interrupted by Thor asking if you wanted to find a table to eat at—you hadn’t realized he had already gotten his food. You sat down so Thor could eat his sandwich and Steve could eat the fried concoction sitting on his plate. 

“Guys. Fried pumpkin pie!” Steve said excitedly. You tried a bite and damn if it wasn’t delicious. It had a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating and was topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream. 

“Is that any good?” Pietro asked as he sat down at the table across from you, next to Thor. He himself had a large tub of ice cream topped with fried oreos. 

“You weren’t kidding—you really did come for the free food.” 

“Well, us Avengers have to keep up our strength. Right guys?” Steve and Bucky just looked at him, but Thor nodded, his mouth too full of food to speak. You laughed, shaking your head at him. 

“Have you tried all the desserts here?” you asked.

“Still working my way through the menu. Why?” 

“I’m deciding between peaches n’ cream nachos and the funnel cake sundae.” 

“Hmmm. Good choices. I should’ve known a wonderful lady such as yourself would have excellent taste.” He wore a cocky smile. 

Thor murmured in agreement. “A wonderful lady indeed.” 

You felt your boyfriends’ body language shift. You could tell they were a little uncomfortable. As you looked around the table at your companions, something Sam had said to you at the Halloween party rang in your ears. _Maybe Sam’s right. Maybe I_ am _a white boy magnet._ You decided to steer the conversation back to your original inquiry. 

“Your recommendation?” you asked Pietro.

“Ah, yes, that. How do you feel about cinnamon sugar waffles with fresh peaches and whipped mascarpone cream?” 

“That sounds amazing!” 

You had scarcely finished your sentence before the dessert was sitting in front of you on the table. 

“How…?” you asked Pietro, who had gotten himself a deep-fried pie. 

He shrugged. “It’s what heroes do.” 

You laughed, “You know that’s not my only criteria, right? It’s not a requirement at all, actually. Just a coincidence.”

“Darn. So what are these other requirements? Tight shirts? Self-righteousness?”

“You’re getting warmer,” you joked. You decided to change the subject, considering your boyfriends were right there. And that, despite what he and Valkyrie had heard, your relationship was closed for business. “I see you finally won yourself a necklace.” 

“A difficult operation. It required a delicate touch.” 

You rolled your eyes. M’Baku and Sam walked up to the table then, which you were grateful for. 

“Samuel’s right,” M’Baku said, slapping Sam on the shoulder. “You _are_ a white boy magnet!” he said to you with a laugh. 

“Hey!” Thor said. “I am a _man_!”

He and M’Baku looked at each other for a moment before bursting out into hearty laughter. M’Baku sat down next to Thor. You could tell Thor wasn’t used to being near other men that dwarfed him in size (especially people without green skin and rage issues). Thor took a sip from his flask. 

“What is that?” M’Baku asked. 

“The finest alcohol in the galaxy: Asgardian mead. Would you like some?” 

“Careful,” Bucky said. “You wanna know how Sam got that karaoke video of me? That stuff.” 

M’Baku’s eyes went wide. “Now I have to try it!” He accepted the flask and took a swig. “That’s pretty good,” he said. “Not the best in the galaxy, but I’m impressed.” 

“Not the best in the galaxy? What’s better? If you say Ciegrimite—” 

“No way! That stuff is amateur hour!” 

They shared a laugh before M’Baku said, “My beer is the best in the galaxy.” 

“We’ll see about that,” Thor said. 

“There’s nothing to see. Jabari beer is better than Asgardian mead.” 

“Do you have some? I would like to settle this.” 

“I’ll have some brought from the ship.” He motioned to a man that you hadn’t noticed, who rushed over and received instructions from M’Baku before scurrying off. 

“I should’ve brought more mead,” Thor said. 

“You finally admit that?” Valkyrie said, walking up with a barrel and plopping it down on the ground before sitting at the table with you. Thor looked at her. “I had to take matters into my own hands,” she shrugged. She introduced herself to M’Baku. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said. “I’m M’Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe.”

“Val. King of Asgard.” 

“Val! Hey!” Bruce walked up with Wanda. He pulled the Valkyrie into a crushing hug. 

“Hey, big guy!” 

Bruce and Wanda sat down with you. 

Wanda was all business. “Are we ready to count?” 

“Not without me, you’re not,” Nat said, walking up. 

“Hey! Carnival’s not over yet!” Sam protested.

“We said we would meet up and compare prizes. Now,” Wanda said. 

“Fine. But I don’t have as many prizes as I anticipated. I may have gotten a little distracted,” Sam said. 

M’Baku laughed. 

“How’d that go, by the way?” Steve asked. 

“Did she say yes?” Bucky asked. 

“Who?” you asked. 

“Okoye,” Bucky explained. 

“She’s kind of hard to read,” Sam said. 

“She turned you down, huh?” Nat said, clapping him on the shoulder patronizingly. 

“She did _not_ turn me down!” Sam said defensively. “I’m still laying the groundwork. It’s a process!” he said. 

“Whatever you say. Let’s count.” 

Wanda indeed had more loot than Sam.

“Tomorrow for dinner you can surprise me, but for dessert I want chimney cake,” Wanda said to Sam.

He sighed. “Can’t wait to spend the next week of my life in the kitchen.” 

“What’d you bet?” you asked. 

“Sam’s an excellent cook, so he’s going to make me Sokovian food every night for the next seven days!” 

“This isn’t fair. No way anyone can win that many prizes!” Sam whined.

Nat cleared her throat and looked pointedly at her cart, which was full to the brim with prizes. 

“Point taken,” Sam said. “Is that yours too?” Sam asked Nat, gesturing at your cart. 

“No, it’s mine,” you said. 

He looked at Steve and Bucky. “You beat Strange’s game _and_ Loki’s?” 

“Don’t look at us,” Steve said. 

“Rude of you to assume that they won all of my prizes for me. Especially when you had a front-row seat to my performance at the sniper game.” 

“My bad, my bad!” Sam said, raising his arms in surrender. 

Now that final counts had been tallied, you were able to appreciate the wide variety of prizes available, and people began trading among themselves. Mini shield, stuffed Mjolnir, tiny Hulk action figure, huge Ant-Man plush, Howling Commandos bears, plush infinity gauntlets, a plastic tree, arc reactor keychain, a bubble gun, Strange’s amulet, and the Tesseract glow lamp. People were willing to trade a lot for that last one, including actual money. 

“No. I worked hard for this lamp!” you said.

“Fine. $100.” 

“Nat. The answer is still no.” 

“$150?” 

“Give it up, Nat. Amy doesn’t want money. But she may be interested in some shields?” Sam asked, referring to all the shields he had collected from the Captain America game. There were at least ten there. 

“I’m also going to say no to you, Sam, but I’m impressed. Steve couldn’t win a single one. Maybe you should be Captain America.” 

“Yeah, Sam,” Steve said, “I think you can take it from here. I can retire and devote all my time to my coffee blog.” 

Sam laughed. “I’m down to be Captain America. But I’m keeping Redwing and getting mini shields for her too.” 

“That’s a great idea, Sam. The title of Captain America is wasted on Steve,” Bucky chuckled. 

“Hey,” Steve laughed, bumping his shoulder against Bucky’s. 

M’Baku’s beer arrived, and so did the rest of the Wakandans. Okoye sat next to Nat, right across from Sam. She and Nat were deep in conversation, but you didn’t miss the occasional glances she sent Sam’s way. There was so much tension! You wondered if they would get together. You supposed you’d get all the dirty details if Okoye attended your next wine night. 

Speaking of alcohol, the drinks were flowing freely. You, Steve, and Bucky tried to stay away from the alcohol, but Thor and M’Baku insisted on everyone doing a taste test. You had of course tried the mead before. The beer was thick and creamy, with a sour aftertaste. You preferred the mead, but you had to go with Team Motherland on this one. M’Baku cheered while Thor looked betrayed. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I really enjoy Asgardian wine.” 

Thor made a face. “It does not.” 

Bucky voted for the Jabari beer, having developed a taste for it during his time living in Wakanda. Steve agreed with you and Bucky. 

“You too, Steven?” Thor asked. 

“Hey, I might not have liked how he said it, but Pietro was right: my girlfriend has good taste. So does my boyfriend.” 

Thor huffed and walked away, in search of someone to back him up. 

“Now that we’re on the subject, what was the criteria you were talking about with Pietro?” Bucky asked. _Awkward._ You really didn’t want to explain this to them.

“Oh, um. It’s silly.” 

“Try me.” 

“My requirements for a boyfriend. Earlier, when I was grabbing food with Wanda, he came up to us and—”

“Started flirting with you shamelessly?”

“Something like that. Wanda let him know that I already had two boyfriends but he didn’t care. And since I seemed to be into Avengers, he’s been trying to convince me that he’s one.” 

“So the ‘tight shirts and self-righteousness was obviously a dig at—”

“Me. I was afraid of that,” Steve said. 

“Well, I like your tight shirts. And I don’t think you’re self-righteous.” 

“Thanks.” 

“I hope you’re not upset. He’s harmless.” 

Steve humphed. “Seeing him flirting with you tonight made me want to throw you over my shoulder, take you home, and remind you whose girl you are.” 

Your breath caught in your throat. 

“I feel the same. Except I wanted to punch him first. Then whisk you away,” Bucky said. 

“I know I’m your girl. But if you want to remind me, I won’t object.” 

“Alright, then. Let’s get out of here.” They started gathering their things.

“Wait! We have to ride the Tunnel of Love again before we leave!” 

You said goodbye to everyone, noting that Okoye had migrated to the other side of the table and was sitting next to Sam now. You took another ride around the Tunnel of Love, and you started crying even earlier this time. They hugged you close as you sniffled, and then took you home and showed you just how much they loved you. 

**Author's Note:**

> ncuka emhlophe= white wolf. I got some great translation info from a post by @hrh-queenexyday on tumblr. https://hrh-queenexyday.tumblr.com/post/187500148082/hi-i-saw-your-post-about-your-help-with-xhosa
> 
> Peaches N’ Cream Nachos, and some of the other culinary delights in this story brought to you by the 2019 Minnesota State Fair. https://mspmag.com/eat-and-drink/new-minnesota-state-fair-food-reviews-2019/
> 
> Ciegrimites are an alien race in the Marvel comics who are known for their high tech alcoholic beverage distillation skills. https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ciegrimites
> 
> For the beer: Ryan Coogler said he based his depiction of Wakanda on the kingdom of Lesotho. A traditional Basotho beer is described as a thick, creamy concoction that leaves a sour aftertaste. https://www.travelmag.com/articles/drinking-beer-with-the-basotho-tribe/
> 
> I was looking up Captain America boxers to see how manufacturers described them and this description was on Walmart’s website: 
> 
> “You like America, don't you? I ask because your formerly tighty, now saggy whities do not, in any way, convey that go-getting American spirit. Son, if you're truly ready to rekindle that pile of wet wood where self-respect once burned, it's time to dump your soiled crotch harness and slip on the immediately gratifying Captain America Classic Men's Underwear Boxer Briefs.” 
> 
> I think it’s time for me to pack it up. There’s no way I could ever write anything better than that. I’m going to track down whoever wrote that description and have them write the rest of this series.


End file.
